Water department doesn’t deserve medal
I really enjoy watching gymnastic competition, especially during the Olympics. You have to be impressed with the amount of preparation and effort it takes to be selected to the Olympic Team.
You’ve chosen your path and you have to strive every day to be one of the best. Continuously making sure all parts are running in top condition. An injury can set you back, but you still have to get again to top form. You do have all the parts necessary to make sure you can do that: your coaches, trainers, physical therapy, etc.
During the competition you are evaluated on your every move. It’s nearly impossible to be perfect, so deductions are taken, but you can still help the team with the overall performance. A big mistake however; miss of the bar, drop of the rings, a slip off the pommel horse, a stumble on the floor and you’re out.
It seem as though in spite of their preparation and previous performances, when it really counted, the Department of Water Supply heads landed entirely off the mat! You really let the whole team down.
I’m sorry, you don’t deserve a medal!
Steve Sahines
Kailua-Kona
Speech spoof left me depressed
I read Dana Milbank’s Jan. 31 column, “The State of the Union, in Trump’s real words” and when I finished, I just laid the paper down in my lap, stared into space and thought “Oh, my God.”… and finished not with an exclamation point, but … with … a … long … sigh.
C. F. Steffen
Captain Cook
Honokaa needs strong community effort to stem tide
Dean Nagasako expressed concern about the economic and social decline of Honokaa town in his recent commentary. It is a mistake to believe politicians, or the government at large, can solve these issues. The overall community, and private industry, is better equipped to improve the image of Honokaa town. Government, and politicians, will hire consultants and spend more tax dollars to solve the problem.
The biggest problem facing Honokaa is the decline of cross-island local and tourist traffic. This is due to the completion of the improvements to Saddle Road. More and more cross-island traffic is using this highway instead of Highway 19 due to its shorter distance. This is why Honokaa needs an attraction to entice people to visit. I think it would be an excellent idea to expand Honokaa’s rich agriculture history and buildings. This could be done by constructing a museum that would connect these together. It also wouldn’t hurt to expand on eco-tourism opportunities, especially taking into account Honokaa’s proximity to Waipio Valley.
Enticing more people to visit Honoka’a town is only one part of the paradigm though. I believe there is an excellent opportunity to expand upon agricultural and high tech opportunities in the surrounding area. Honokaa is close to Kamuela, and the Maunakea telescope facilities in this area. There could be an opportunity to create a high technology incubator facility in Honokaa using those assets. I also believe Honokaa needs to establish a cash agricultural crop, like Kona and Ka’u Coffee, that will also help attract people this area.
Honokaa has a rich history that is slowly disappearing. I firmly believe it will take a strong effort by the community at large to stem the tide.
Aaron Stene
Kailua-Kona
